False 911 call led to death of 19-year-old in Pasadena

3/29/2012, 11:55 a.m.

A man whose call to police falsely claiming he was robbed by two gunmen led to the fatal officer-involved shooting of a 19-year-old man in Pasadena. The caller Oscar Carrillo, 26, remained jailed Thursday, March 29, after his arrest on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter.

Two officers shot and killed Kendrec Lavelle McDade when they saw him running shortly after 11 p.m. Saturday on Sunset Avenue near Orange Grove Boulevard.

Pasadena Police Chief Phillip Sanchez announced that he is planning to discuss the shooting at a community meeting Saturday at 9 a.m. at the New Revelation Baptist Church, 855 N. Orange Grove Blvd.

Carrillo of Pasadena was arrested by Pasadena police detectives on Wednesday and remains in custody, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department booking records.

Pasadena police Lt. Phlunte Riddle said the officers involved in the shooting were acting on information provided to a dispatcher by Carrillo, who claimed two suspects armed with handguns had taken his backpack. Carrillo later admitted that while the backpack had been stolen, the suspects were not armed, Riddle said.

Police and the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Officer-Involved Shooting Team investigated the case and found inconsistencies in Carrillo's statement. Carrillo then "admitted he had fabricated the gun to expedite the officers' response," Riddle said.

"This was not the outcome we had anticipated," Riddle said. Several investigations, including the review of the officer-involved shooting aspect of the case, were continuing Thursday. The officers have been placed on paid administrative leave.

McDade and a 17-year-old boy who was with him did indeed burglarize Carrillo's vehicle and also committed other commercial burglaries, Riddle said.

The boy has been charged with grand theft, commercial burglary and failure to register as a gang member as a condition of probation.

On Wednesday, Pasadena police asked the district attorney's office to charge Carrillo with involuntary manslaughter, Riddle said. Prosecutors have 48 hours to decide how to respond to the request. The decision had not been made as of early Thursday afternoon, according to the district attorney's office.